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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27943982">For F— Sake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_n_g_e_l/pseuds/1004'>1004 (A_n_g_e_l)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkFlash/pseuds/DarkFlash'>DarkFlash</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clamp/pseuds/The_Clamp'>The_Clamp</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Sexual Tension, Barista Donghun, Comedy but also Sad Boi Hours, Cultural Differences, Curator Sehyoon, Fashion Designer Donghun, Fluff and Angst, Fox Demons, Getting Together, Junhee Does Not Understand Human Behavior, Junhee is Cute and a Tease (or he tries to be), Kang Yuchan | Chan Is A Little Shit, Lee Donghun and Kang Yuchan | Chan are Childhood Friends, M/M, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Part Time Waiter Yuchan, Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, Side SehKwanChan, Slow Burn, Strangers (to friends) to Lovers, University Student Yuchan, donghun is so oblivious, sexual content comes later, so much pining, some violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:01:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,195</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27943982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_n_g_e_l/pseuds/1004, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkFlash/pseuds/DarkFlash, https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clamp/pseuds/The_Clamp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Donghun knows that Park Junhee is weird. This is an undisputed truth. From his body language and childlike sense of wonder, to the odd little sounds that come out of his mouth, something just isn’t quite right. Sometimes, Donghun swears that Junhee acts as though he could shed his own skin, hanging his humanity upon the coat rack by the door, leaving behind someone free of conventional social niceties. The thought often leaves behind a twinge of trepidation in the back of his throat, and he finds himself wondering if he’s bitten off more than he can chew.</p><p>Or, in which misunderstandings lead to Donghun making an absolute fool of himself and Junhee eagerly opens his heart to all the human world has to offer. Meanwhile, Sehyoon is fighting death by second hand embarrassment, and Byeongkwan and Yuchan are enjoying the show far too much.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kang Yuchan | Chan &amp; Lee Donghun, Kang Yuchan | Chan/Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow, Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For F— Sake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello! Welcome to our (The_Clamp, DarkFlash and 1004) brainchild that has been in the works since August. We hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first meeting, and Junhee is weird from the getgo.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghun had been looking forward to an evening in front of the TV with a family size bag of chips for companionship, dressed in his most worn out hoodie and one of his favorite blankets. Unfortunately, that wasn't on the cards tonight. Yuchan, his childhood friend and roommate, had other plans for him. Instead of binge watching dramas, Yuchan was dragging him out to their favorite restaurant against his will just to meet up with a bunch of strangers. Well, strangers in his view, at least.</p><p>Despite their years of friendship, both of their social groups never really crossed over. Sehyoon was somebody he’d heard Yuchan talk about often and he sounded like a nice guy, but Donghun was rather reluctant to intrude on Yuchan’s social life. The only real impression he’d made was the fact, about a year and a half ago, Sehyoon had acquired himself a boyfriend, seemingly out of the blue. He remembered Yuchan appearing mildly disgruntled by Byeongkwan’s abrupt appearance, but over time they had become rather close, like two peas in a pod.</p><p>Yuchan was the kind of person who befriended everyone he’d ever met, while Donghun was frankly the opposite. It was probably why he hadn't felt much of a desire to muscle in on Yuchan’s friendship circle, despite numerous invites. He simply wasn't great with new people and he generally preferred the company of one person at a time, or even solitude.</p><p>But it seemed that Yuchan had finally been able to wear him down. He’d said a friend of Byeongkwan’s, whom he himself had never met before, would be joining them and that it would be nice if Donghun came along for once. After numerous requests, Yuchan had even pulled out the puppy dog eyes, not to mention accusing him of becoming a hermit. Clearly he had not considered that maybe Donghun <em>liked</em> living a peaceful hermit’s existence.</p><p>After three days of constant harassment and a great deal of complaining and griping on his part, Donghun found himself sitting at a cramped table opposite Sehyoon, Byeongkwan and Junhee. The former two were pretty nice and seemed to be reasonably normal, if a little quiet in Sehyoon’s case. Donghun could deal with quiet people; they were usually his favorite kind of people, actually.</p><p>But then there was Junhee, the guy sat happily between the pair, pretty much directly across the table from him.</p><p>Donghun had reached across the table, offering his hand out to shake as he introduced himself, only to be greeted back with wide, angular eyes staring in surprise. A painfully awkward silence passed before Byeongkwan nudged Junhee with his shoulder, tilting his head in Donghun's direction with a look that said <em>go on</em>.</p><p>Junhee seemed to steel himself at that before offering Donghun a shy grin and placed his hand in his. Barely.</p><p>The touch was so light it felt like Junhee was almost scared to make contact. <em>Strange</em>, Donghun thought as he gripped the small hand with what he considered a fairly normal amount of force. The young man let out an odd little yip paired with a flinch at the pressure, subconsciously trying to wrench himself from his grasp. Donghun let go and Junhee stared at him for a split second, grasping at his hand as if inspecting for an injury.</p><p>“Wow. You’re strong.” He remarked quietly, staring at Donghun’s hands in a strange manner. Byeongkwan looked at him as if he'd grown another head, and Donghun took his hands back, placing them on his lap out of sight, suddenly having felt self conscious at the comment.</p><p>“Junhee, what?” Byeongkwan questioned, voice flat. Junhee let out a soft, awkward laugh, eyes crinkling as he turned to the man beside him.</p><p>“Oops, did I say that out loud?” His face looked to be a little red, but it could have been the weird lighting. “Sorry about that!” Junhee dimpled at Donghun cutely, and Donghun found it in himself to brush off the odd behavior despite his reservations.</p><p>Junhee seemed to act about as strange as he was striking in his appearance. Not only did he have a captivating, toothy smile, but he had such an intense gaze as well. His eyes were mesmerising with a set of contact lenses which looked gold laced with amber. Furthermore, the whole look was set off by practically white blond hair. Donghun gave a silent prayer in his head for this guy’s scalp, considering all the bleach it must have required. His eyes flitted to the other two in order to scrutinise them more closely.</p><p>There wasn’t anything wild about Sehyoon’s look. Dark clothes, black hair and a placid expression. Maybe the only thing out of the ordinary was the fact he’s kept his coat on, even though the restaurant was extremely warm inside. Byeongkwan, on the other hand, was like a middle ground between the other two. He wore lenses like Junhee but they were a light shade of brown, and his hair was dyed a rusty orange, which isn't such an outlandish color but it was enough to catch one's eye when standing under the sun.</p><p>In comparison, Junhee was definitely the oddball of the trio, both with the way he acted and how he looked, but Donghun still gave him the benefit of the doubt. He could just be anxious about meeting someone new and his nerves got the best of him. Surely, he wasn't actually this weird, right?</p><p>He was wrong.</p><p>As the evening progressed, Donghun continued to watch as the already strange man in front if him became even <em>more</em> peculiar.</p><p>Junhee had carefully inspected a salt shaker as if it was the first time he'd seen such a thing. He looked enraptured, like it was some kind of artifact. "Hey Byeongkwan, what's this called?" He asked, poking in fascination and looking surprised when some of the salt spilled out the top.</p><p>"It's a salt shaker, hyung," the younger replied as he scanned the menu they were given earlier. "Helps to add salt or any seasoning to food if it's bland."</p><p>"Bland?" Junhee looked puzzled at the term.</p><p>"When food is flavorless or under-seasoned." That explanation didn't seem to help as Junhee looked at Byeongkwan in wide eyed confusion, a question mark practically visible above him as he tilted his head. Donghun swore he did <em>not</em> find that cute.</p><p>When the waiter arrived to take their order, Donghun decided with Yuchan to get twice the usual amount they got for the hot pot to satisfy everyone, with the latter following up an extra order of <em>bulgogi</em> for himself. As they all checked to see what drinks were available (thankfully, everything was on hand), Donghun noticed Junhee was staring at the drinks menu with a baffled expression, eyes scanning frantically with a tiny furrow of his brows.</p><p>He blinked. Why was Junhee panicking looking at drink options?</p><p>"Hey Junhee, what do you-" Byeongkwan turned to ask, cutting himself off with a snicker when he saw Junhee's expression. He turned back to the waiter beside him laughing, to the employee's mild confusion. "S-Sorry, it's nothing. My friend will have cola as well." Byeongkwan said, trying to reassure them.</p><p>The waiter just nodded with a confused smile, writing the order down quickly. "Anything else, Sir?"</p><p>"No, that should be all. Thank you." Donghun piped up, handing the menus back as they nodded and left the table to ring up the order.</p><p>“So, it’s nice to finally meet you, Donghun, Channie talks a lot about you. How come it took so long for you to come out with us?” Byeongkwan began with a friendly smile, making conversation.</p><p>“Ah, it's nice to meet you too," Donghun greeted back. "And that's my fault, to be honest. I hadn't had the time to get out a lot, I've been kinda busy.” Extremely busy. Busy sitting around in his underwear, watching dramas and oddly satisfying compilations on YouTube between his day job at the café and his own pursuits in fashion and costume design. Many nights would see him hunched over his sewing machine, trying to build his portfolio in the hopes of finally getting his big break to save him from his miserable existence in bean grinding hell. So far he’d had extremely limited success and honestly, he was starting to lose all hope and motivation.</p><p>Yuchan snorted beside him knowingly, earning himself a sharp elbow to his side for it.</p><p>“Ah, I see. You and Junhee-hyung are pretty similar then, he doesn’t get out much, either.” Byeongkwan joked and motioned to Junhee, just as the other took a gulp of his cola when it arrived.</p><p>He seemed to have some trouble with the drink as he let out a small noise and pulled the glass away, tongue sticking out in displeasure. Donghun was almost certain he heard a tiny growl too. Junhee narrowed his eyes at his friend, looking betrayed. Maybe Byeongkwan asked for regular cola when he wanted diet?</p><p>“Oh, sorry. Should have warned you, it’s carbonated; the bubbles are normal.” Byeongkwan patted his shoulder consolingly. “Just drink it slowly. You’ll get used to it.”</p><p>Junhee looked down at the glass and then up at Donghun, tongue still poking out of his mouth. He then gave him a big, innocent smile, once again showing off his teeth. “Sorry, it’s my first time drinking this stuff.” He took another sip, seemingly prepared for the fizzy bubbles this time.</p><p><em>First time drinking this stuff? </em> Donghun repeated in his head. <em>Has he never had soda before?</em> The man was even weirder than he expected. Then again, he’d apparently never seen a salt shaker before, so this shouldn't be that surprising.</p><p>It didn't take long for the food to start arriving and Junhee’s face lit up as the various dishes were placed on the table, eyes shining excitedly.</p><p>"Wow, this looks so good. Let's dig in, guys!" Yuchan said, clapping his hands excitedly. He grabbed the disposable chopsticks provided and handed them around the table, splitting his pair immediately. The rest did the same and picked up a few side dishes to start the meal.</p><p>Junhee picked up his own pair questioningly, and once again nudged his friend beside him who took the utensils and turned them around the right way, giving them back with an encouraging smile. Donghun had to admit, Byeongkwan had an impressive amount of patience dealing with Junhee's requests.</p><p>He tried not to stare any longer but he couldn't help being distracted by Junhee's weird set of behaviours. First the shaker, then soda, now the chopsticks? <em>Seriously, what the hell.</em></p><p>Byeongkwan, noticing the intense scrutiny he and his friend were under, rolled his eyes dramatically with a smile. <em>“Needy, isn’t he?”</em> He mouthed silently to Donghun, earning a glower and an elbow to the side from Junhee. It couldn't have been too hard of a hit, because Byeongkwan doesn’t so much as flinch at the contact, but it made a solid thud.</p><p>Donghun—surprisingly—found himself chuckling at the odd little interaction between them as he and everyone else began to dig in. The aroma wafting from the hot pot was rich and mouthwatering, and he quickly followed Yuchan and Sehyoon’s examples, grabbing the thin slices of beef to cook in the flavorful broth.</p><p>Junhee, on the other hand, seemed almost hesitant, tracking their movement as he held a piece of beef between his chopsticks. There was a brief moment where Donghun feared he was about to toss the raw meat into his mouth as he paused, staring at it intently. Thankfully, his worries were unfounded as Junhee followed after everyone else and plopped it into the broth as well.</p><p>It took a few minutes to fully cook the meat, time which Yuchan filled with rants about research work for his business classes as he fed himself some <em>japchae</em> noodles. Donghun tuned out most of it as he'd already heard this ramble, letting his mind wander to a few designs he was working on at the moment. He noticed in passing, however, that Sehyoon and Byeongkwan were actually listening to his friend's rants as they ate, with Sehyoon even giving him advice about sources he could use for references. How kind of them.</p><p>Once the beef was finally cooked, everyone took a few pieces for themselves, and Donghun found himself glancing around the table as he picked at his food, his attention somehow getting snagged on Junhee again. He nearly choked as Junhee’s features morphed from slight caution to utter delight when he took his first bite, surprised and starry eyed. The blissful expression was paired with a little squealing sound of pleasure.</p><p>“Yah, this is really good.” Junhee practically moaned, as if he’s never tasted good hot pot before in his life. Donghun almost felt bad for the guy.</p><p>“Try the veggies, Junnie-hyung.” Byeongkwan grinned, holding up mushrooms between his chopsticks. Junhee pliantly opened up his mouth, revealing his cute teeth, again, and pink tongue as his friend fed him.</p><p>“You should know mushrooms are fungi, Kwannie.” Sehyoon spoke up softly. Byeongkwan waved his free hand in a dismissive manner.</p><p>“Details, details, it's all food in the end, hyung.” he replied, not bothered by the correction in the slightest. Sehyoon just huffed at his response amusedly, turning back to his own plate with a small smile.</p><p>Ignoring them, Junhee chewed contentedly, eyes crinkling into half moons while squirming in his seat happily. Once he was done with that bite, he looked to Byeongkwan, the very image of a pleading puppy silently asking for more.</p><p>“You can make your own, Junnie-hyung. You’re an adult; I need to feed myself too!” Byeongkwan hit the older male lightly, who had the audacity to pout at him.</p><p>Donghun was astounded. Shameless. Park Junhee was utterly shameless. How had this guy survived this long?</p><p>Yuchan was laughing beside him. Donghun barely registered it, until his own name was being called.</p><p>“Donghun-hyung, I know the new faces are interesting—well, one in particular, at least—but we’re gonna devour everything if you don’t stop staring.” Donghun whipped his head around to glare at the maknae of the table, flushing in embarrassment. Yuchan just sat there, grinning wickedly. Fucking gremlin.</p><p>“I’m unfriending you.” He declared, grabbing the nearest side dish without even looking and shoving it into his mouth spitefully. It’s not his fault, really. Even if Junhee was pretty, he’s just <em>weird</em>. Really, really weird. Not to mention dependent on his friend for the simplest things. Who could blame him for staring?</p><p>"Of course you are, hyung," Yuchan teased. Donghun could almost see the smirk hidden in his voice. How annoying. "Such a shame our friendship has to end here. But hey, maybe when I move out, you could have Junhee as your new roommate- Ow!"</p><p>Donghun had whacked him on the back of the head, looking away after as he drank his soda innocently. Yuchan glared at him irritated as he rubbed the sore spot, grumbling under his breath.</p><p><em>Serves you right, brat,</em> Donghun thought smugly as he began eating again.</p><p>It quickly became apparent that Junhee had quite the appetite, making his way through most of the shared side dishes by himself with almost no regard for anyone else at the table. He’d take such huge bites and barely chew through anything, the oldest was surprised he hadn't choked yet with all the portions he ate-</p><p>Donghun blinked, shaking his head. He was staring at him again. He hurriedly stuffed his mouth with some more beef, ducking his head to try and ignore Junhee and his weird habits. No need to give Yuchan more ammunition to tease him with.</p><p>About halfway through dinner, as the last of the beef and broth were consumed by Yuchan and Junhee, he was about to take the last piece of kimchi pancake on the plate in front of him. Unfortunately, just as he moved to pick it up, his chopsticks clashed with another set across from him. He looked up to meet Junhee’s stare, and suddenly felt caught in those intense, unblinking eyes for a moment. Something about the way his lenses glimmered and shone in the restaurant's bright lighting was almost hypnotic in a way. Captivating him with how they seemed so real the more he stared.</p><p>A few moments later, he came to his senses. Sure, Junhee with his striking eyes and white hair was pretty, but there wasn’t a face in the world attractive enough to make Donghun give up the last piece of kimchi pancake, especially when the owner of said face had been eating everything in sight.</p><p>Except, maybe Junhee was the exception to this, because he nimbly snatched the final piece from the plate before he could nab it. Donghun huffed and was about to complain, ready to cite the unwritten rules of sharing food when Junhee held it out to him with a little smile tugging at his lips, the way they curled up a little at the corners becoming even more pronounced.</p><p>“Did you want this? You can have it.” Junhee brought it closer to Donghun expectantly.</p><p>Donghun froze, unsure of what to think. Was he seriously trying to feed him when they barely know each other? “Uh, i-it's okay, you got it first." Donghun declined, feeling his face heat up again.</p><p>“Don’t be silly. Open up, I insist.”</p><p>“Junhee, he might not be comfortable with being fed.” Byeongkwan scolded Junhee, who looked sad in response, lips in a wobbly pout as he retracted his hand. Donghun felt his gut dropping at the dejected expression.</p><p>“N-No, wait! It's fine, I don't mind!” He interjected to save Junhee the embarrassment, instinctively grasping his wrist to keep him from retreating, and consumed the offered pancake from the chopsticks.</p><p>Multiple things happened right after that. Donghun, realizing what he'd done, turned a vibrant shade of red and quickly released Junhee’s wrist as though he'd been burned. The younger male froze, staring at him with wide eyes and parted lips before his cheeks slowly matched Donghun’s in color. Distantly in the background, Yuchan was cackling like a madman, and Sehyoon fought an amused smile looking at the pair.</p><p>Byeongkwan gently slapped Junhee in the chest, who reanimated and seemed to curl on himself as he withdrew his now empty chopsticks. “You can’t just offer people you’ve just met food from your chopsticks! He’s not like us; he’s gonna think you’re weird!”</p><p>“I—” Junhee started, at least looking somewhat ashamed of himself, however Yuchan interrupted whatever he was about to say with a shit eating grin.</p><p>“No, don’t scold him, Kwannie-hyung. Donghun-hyung liked it.”</p><p><em>I- what?</em> Donghun gaped at Yuchan in disbelief, punching his shoulder as his face morphed into a mortified glare. "Would you shut up, you damn imp!" He hissed. All that got him was Yuchan biting his lips to try and smother his laugh, to no avail.</p><p>"Oh, did he now?" Byeongkwan hummed, looking entertained.</p><p>“Yes! You can tell by the look on his face! He def—" Yuchan was cut off by Donghun’s hand clamped over his mouth. Yuchan tried pulling his hand off repeatedly with a muffled yell, but Donghun remained firmly in placw.</p><p>The other customers and restaurant staff nearby were now staring openly at the raucous noise coming from their table, but Donghun didn’t care at the moment, too busy trying to silence his roommate as his face burned with embarrassment.</p><p>“Well, Junhee hyung, seems like you’ve made a friend.” Byeongkwan chirped, a lilt of mischief to his voice as he gently elbowed the other.</p><p>“I-I just really like kimchi pancakes, okay? Nothing to do with Junhee feeding me.” Donghun scoffed in an attempt to defend himself, finally releasing his friend from his grasp before he could think about licking his palm.</p><p>Yuchan just hummed beside him, sounding unconvinced. "Whatever you say, hyung." Donghun gave his hair a good yank at that, making the former yelp and slap his arm in retaliation.</p><p>Junhee sat with a puzzled expression for a moment, eyes darting between the two as they bantered and roughhoused for a bit. His face then broke out into a wide smile, eyes sparkling as Donghun's gaze landed on him for a second when he finally looked up. Donghun will deny the way his heart skipped a beat from seeing his pretty smile.</p><p>He then noticed all the stares around them directed at their table and quietly mumbled an apology, ducking his head as he plucked a piece of beef off his plate. He was now all too aware of how he must look, not just to the three he’d met for the first time today, but to the restaurant full of strangers as well. He'd mentally file tonight under <em>‘Reasons Not To Socialise’</em> when he got home, that's for sure.</p><p>He finished the rest of his meal with them quietly, pointedly avoiding eye contact with anyone across from him. Junhee seemed intent on catching Donghun’s attention however, trying to engage with him with prodding little questions that Donghun only mumbled responses to. Honestly, he’s not even sure if Junhee could hear him over the noise of the restaurant, but in his peripheral vision, he always saw him nodding along with an expression that could almost come off as serious. Except for the purse of his lips—shiny from the food he'd eaten—that made him look like he was pouting. It was hard to take the expression seriously with that.</p><p>It was also hard to take him seriously, when Donghun thought he heard Byeongkwan chide something along the lines of <em>nuh uh, don’t bite,</em> at one point during the evening, and he had glanced up just in time to see Junhee's mouth barely parted and positioned at Byeongkwan’s shoulder, as if he were about to take a bite. Donghun froze, averting his gaze, but he swore he heard a low rumble come from Byeongkwan’s chest, followed by the slightest of whimpers from Junhee. Donghun couldn’t quite ignore the temptation and turned back to them, just to see Junhee looking chastised.</p><p>Donghun looked to Yuchan, who had been watching Junhee and Byeongkwan throughout the entire interaction as well. Yuchan pulled a face at Donghun for only a split second, but Donghun got his message loud and clear. <em>Weird</em>. Yuchan knew Kim Byeongkwan, and while his new friend was weird, the way Byeongkwan catered to him, changed his language, his mannerisms, his… well, everything, in order to interact with Junhee, Donghun assumed that was even weirder.</p><p>“Hyung…” Yuchan trailed off before a switch seemed to flip before Donghun’s eyes. From speculative to downright evil, Yuchan had dropped the silent topic almost immediately in favor of giving his roommate a suspiciously gleeful look. He was up to something, Donghun could feel it. “So, Donghun hyung’s paying for our meal, right?" Yuchan questioned, smiling mischievously. "It's his duty as the eldest, after all.”</p><p>Donghun saw this coming a mile away, yet somehow he still managed to be surprised. "W-What?" He spluttered incredulously. "Are you crazy? I can't pay for all this, I'm not made of money here!"</p><p>"Please, hyung! Just this once! I'll pay you next month when I get my paycheck, promise!" Yuchan whined, pulling his sleeve with a pouty, puppy eyed look on his face that had Donghun hesitating.</p><p>Now logically, Donghun knew Yuchan was using his sad face as a means to persuade him and logically, he knew he could say no if he tried. However, if there's one thing his friend excelled at, it was getting Donghun to cave in quickly, and this was the perfect example.</p><p>"Channie, I don't know—"</p><p>Yuchan's sad look intensified, his pout growing with a slight quiver as he pleaded silently to his hyung some more. Donghun lasted staring at him for five seconds before he finally admitted defeat. "Okay fine, I'll pay the bill! Just stop looking at me like I killed your pet or something!" He groaned out, pushing Yuchan's head away as the latter grinned smugly, dropping the facáde immediately.</p><p>"Well, technically—"</p><p>"And no, your old Tamagotchi dog does not count as an actual pet."</p><p>"Meanie," Yuchan huffed. "I still got you to pay for the meal though, so it's a win for me."</p><p>"That's because you played dirty."</p><p>"Well, I gotta use my best weapon sometimes, don't I?"</p><p>Donghun rolled his eyes, an amused smile twitching on his lips despite his annoyance. "Whatever, you brat."</p><p>As Yuchan leaned back on his seat victoriously smiling, Donghun somehow found himself looking towards Junhee again despite saying he wouldn't. He forced himself to look unfazed when he saw Junhee's stare fixated on him curiously, more specifically at his hands, just like a few hours prior.</p><p><em>Why is he looking at my hands again?</em> Donghun mused as he gave a nervous smile. <em>Maybe he doesn't like them 'cause they're weird looking? But then why is he staring so much?</em></p><p>Donghun swallowed at the turmoil through his head, hyper-aware of Junhee's eyes moving to his throat when he did. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say but thankfully, he was interrupted when Sehyoon piped up beside him.</p><p>"I, um… I could split the bill with you, Donghun, if that's alright," he offered, smiling shyly. "I have some extra money that I could spend for the night."</p><p>"N-No, it's alright-" Donghun tried to decline.</p><p>"It won't be a bother. Really, I insist," Sehyoon pushed. "Besides, this could be our treat for Channie since he's starting midterms in 2 weeks anyway. I thought we might as well pay for this and the meal for when he finishes his exams-"</p><p>"Wait, you guys would pay for that, too?" Yuchan interjected. He looked excited at the thought of another free meal from them.</p><p>"-to reward him after." Sehyoon finished, unperturbed at Yuchan's interruption. "What do you say?"</p><p>Donghun could admit he was surprised by the offer, but he also felt relieved that he wouldn't have to shoulder the whole bill. This was a rather unexpected development, but he will take it gratefully. “Sure, if you really don’t mind.”</p><p>“Not at all. Like I said, Channie's starting exams soon, so I kind of expected to spend money for food tonight.”</p><p>Donghun definitely owed Sehyoon for saving not only his wallet, but his pride, too. He made a mental note to owe him one in the future.</p><p>After paying up, the group headed out and bid their goodbyes, Yuchan giving out hugs to Sehyoon and Byeongkwan before they parted. “We should all hang out again sometime.” The youngest chirped.</p><p>“I definitely agree. You’d like that too, right, Junnie?” Byeongkwan nudged Junhee with his elbow. The peculiar young man next to him seemed distracted by something in the distance, blinking back to the present with the sudden nudge.</p><p>“Hm? Oh! Yes, I would!” Junhee flashed a beaming grin, his eyes shifting back to Donghun. “I can’t wait to see you guys again.” The fact that he’d said that while staring at him dead in the eyes made whatever reciprocated words Donghun prepared get stuck in his chest.</p><p>Rather than bidding a proper goodbye, he ended up giving an awkward half smile and wave before fleeing away with Yuchan. He could practically feel the stupid grin on the younger’s face all the way home without even looking at it. He just knew his gremlin of a best friend was absolutely bursting to say something. All he could do was wait for it.</p><p>He didn’t have to wait long, either. After a walk home in almost complete silence, their apartment door had barely just swung closed before Yuchan could no longer contain himself.</p><p>“So…” He drawled out.</p><p><em>And here we go,</em> Donghun thought, kicking off his shoes and shrugging off his jacket to hang it up on the hook.</p><p>“Did you enjoy Junhee feeding you kimchi pancake like that, hyung?” The brat could barely contain a laugh as he spoke. “You went so red!”</p><p>“Look, I don’t know what I was thinking, okay? He’s really weird, it was probably just rubbing off on me.” Donghun tried to defend himself. Because yes, Junhee was weird, but maybe he found that intriguing for some reason.</p><p>Yuchan hummed in agreement as he set his sneakers beside the door. “Yeah, he is pretty strange, isn't he? Byeongkwan did say he's not from around here.”</p><p>Donghun flopped himself down onto their couch. Tonight has been tiring. “Not from around here? Then where’s he from, goddamn Mars?” The guy acted like he'd never been in a restaurant before.</p><p>“He didn't specify.” The younger shrugged and plonked himself down next to him on the couch with another grin. “And apparently, Martian is your type because I can tell you’re <em>very</em> interested in a certain someone.” He teased, digging out his phone and texting away.</p><p>“Absolutely not.” Donghun scoffed, turning to his own phone to thoughtlessly scroll through social media. He noted that Yuchan had posted on his Instagram earlier with a solo shot of him in the bathroom mirror. Swiping left on his post revealed another picture he took, this time of Byeongkwan and Junhee. They were both smiling, hands clasped and foreheads pressed together like Junhee was nuzzling him as the picture was taken. He hated to admit it, but it was a really cute picture.</p><p>“He’s interesting, yes,” he paused, having stopped scrolling through his feed at Yuchan’s words. “... and maybe he has a pretty face but I’m not interested in the guy. He’s way too abnormal. Like one of those people who tries to be quirky and airheaded to be cute. Did you see how Byeongkwan had to essentially teach him how to eat? It looked like he didn’t even know how to use chopsticks. Maybe if he was from a tiny village or something he may not have tried soda before, but what kind of person has never seen a salt shaker? <em>And</em> I’m pretty sure he nearly bit Byeongkwan in the middle of dinner for no reason! I’m not interested in people who try to act quirky for attention, don’t say stupid things.” He felt Yuchan shift on the couch, looking up from his text messages to stare at him.</p><p>“What?” He demanded, bristling slightly at the look on Yuchan’s face.</p><p>“You’re rambling about him, hyung.” Yuchan commented with a smirk. “For someone who spent half the night intentionally not looking at the guy after he fed you, you noticed an awful lot about him. You’ve thought about him enough to come up with all of that,” The younger male added before sighing, losing his teasing air in favor of looking at Donghun seriously.</p><p>“Besides, even if he was weird, hyung, he didn’t seem disingenuous. He seemed rather earnest. Weirdly innocent, actually.” Yuchan offered the eldest a small smile. “It’s okay if you like him, you know. You’re allowed to have crushes. Even if you do have the title of the untouchable ice king.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He muttered, huffing in a way that would come off as haughty to anyone who didn’t know him. It was silly. Donghun considered himself far too old to be having crushes on weirdly charming pretty guys. “This isn’t me saying I have a crush on the guy though, so don’t go gossiping to Byeongkwan or Sehyoon, alright? I don’t even know him.”</p><p>“... But you could have a crush on him if you got to know him, is what you’re saying?” Yuchan caught onto him way too quickly. Donghun did his best not to groan, raising his hands to hide his face behind his phone screen. It still had the picture of Byeongkwan and Junhee taunting him at the top of his feed. “I knew he was your type, hyung!”</p><p>“Did you miss the fact I just said I’m not interested in guys who try to be different for attention?” He mumbled, somewhat spitefully.</p><p>“And did <em>you</em> miss the fact I really don’t think he’s faking it?” Yuchan retorted, though not unkindly. There was a warm smile on his lips. “Just think about it, hyung. I think pursuing the guy might honestly be good for you. It would certainly keep you from staying cooped up in the apartment, if nothing else.”</p><p>"You make it sound like I have nothing better to do with my life."</p><p>"And that'd be wrong how exactly?" Donghun gave him a glare for that, but Yuchan just shrugged in return. "Just saying, you know. You need to get out more often so you can stop being so tense, especially since you're always complaining about your job at the café."</p><p>Donghun frowned, looking put off at the comment. "I'm not <em>that</em> stressed about my job."</p><p>Yuchan raised an eyebrow at the elder. "Right," he said, expression bemused. "And I suppose your rants about customers who ordered 10 pumps of caramel in their drink or asked for cappuccino when they wanted a latte were for what, your enjoyment?"</p><p>Donghun could feel irritation coming back to him, a scowl on his face as he crossed his arms angrily. "The shots wouldn't have fit in the fucking cup, much less the steamed milk if we followed the stupid caramel order. And, it's not my fault some people can't remember the difference between a drink filled with froth and one with almost no froth!" He seethed. "You'd think people would at least research what they want to order, but no! You have to deal with their questions with answers that could easily be looked up on the internet and the lines get long behind them and–"</p><p>Donghun paused mid-rant when he saw both of Yuchan's eyebrows raise this time, realizing that he just proved his point. Fine, maybe he <em>was</em> that stressed about his job. "Okay yeah, I see your point," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I'll try to head out more often so I won't be inside the apartment all day. God, I hate it when you're right sometimes."</p><p>"I think you mean 'most of the time'." Yuchan grinned.</p><p>"Don't push it."</p><p>“You know you’re always welcome to hang out with Sehyoon, Byeongkwan and I. Maybe Junhee being there could be the motivation you need.”</p><p>“Whatever.” Donghun scoffed at that. “Did Byeongkwan say if he was just here visiting from Mars, or is he gonna be around permanently?”</p><p>“Oh, so you are interested!” Yuchan cackled.</p><p>“Don’t take it as an admission of guilt, I’m just curious!”</p><p>“Of course you are," Donghun wanted to wipe the knowing expression on his face. "Well, he hasn't mentioned it to me directly, but I get the feeling he’s probably here to stay. Sehyoon hyung's mentioned his apartment being a bit too small for three people once, and I've also seen him looking into available apartments nearby, so there's that.” Yuchan explained.</p><p>“I see…”</p><p>“Look, hyung, just come hang out with us next time. We can show Junhee around the city, it’ll be nice. I’m just trying to save you from becoming a full-time hermit. Maybe in one of those outings, you could ask Junhee if he wants to hang with you sometime.” He looked up at Donghun slyly. “Like on a date?” he suggested playfully.</p><p>“Don’t get carried away. I’d end up having to feed him or something apparently.” Donghun rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Don’t pretend you wouldn't love that, hyung. I know you.”</p><p>“Whatever, you already won in getting me to agree to get out more. Quit while you’re ahead. If I’m not at work, I’ll come out with you guys next time. Happy?”</p><p>“Ecstatic.”</p><p>It wasn't that Donghun disliked people or was opposed to the idea of socialising. It was just that he’d found himself in a small, safe little world he’d built for himself over the last couple of years. Sometimes he needed someone, generally Yuchan, to nudge him outside of his comfort zone. People just seemed to complicate life a lot of the time and so there was this slight hesitation he always had. Especially when dealing with new people, and <em>especially</em> with new, weird people like Park Junhee.</p><p>Accepting Yuchan's offer to hang out with him and his friends was quite a large step out of Donghun's comfort zone, actually.</p><p>Donghun sighed, mind wandering back to Junhee. Was it really possible for someone to actually be like that and not be an act? Had he really let this weirdly cute peculiar individual feed him from across the table? He cringed at the memory, feeling his cheeks heat up. Well, one thing was for sure, he wouldn’t be allowing himself to dwell on it anymore this evening. He had all day at work tomorrow to mull over his own embarrassment and let it eat him alone.</p><p>“Okay, I’m going to bed now,” Donghun stood up from his seat abruptly before Yuchan could notice the blush which was no doubt spreading to the tips of his ears by now. "Good night."</p><p>“Good night! Hope you have dreams about Junhee,” Yuchan giggled childishly, earning a sharp slap on his leg. “Ow! Save the spanking for him!”</p><p>“I hate you so much sometimes.” Donghun sighed, defeated and exhausted.</p><p>“Love you too, hyung."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>(/) (°,,°) (/) Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and stay tuned! If you like, come say hi on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheClamp2">Twitter</a> ! (The_Clamp)</p><p>We've been planning this fic for a while now and we're so happy to finally publish the first chapter after quite a while of drafting :D We hope you enjoyed reading this so far ♡ if anyone wants to, you can follow my own <a href="https://twitter.com/multi_stanning">Twitter</a> as well ^-^ (@multi_stanning)</p><p>Review or I’ll eat your hands （╹◡╹）♡<br/>Much love from 1004(A_n_g_e_l)<br/><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JUNIV5RSE/">Come scream with me on Twitter(especially if you’re a Junhee simp)</a></p>
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